景德傳燈錄 2.29

2.29

The twenty-second patriarch, Manorhita, was the son of King Changzizai of the kingdom of Nadi. At the age of thirty, he encountered the ancestral master Vasubandhu, left home, and received the transmission of the Dharma. He traveled to western India. The king of that country was named Dede, of the Gautama clan. He had taken refuge in the Buddha vehicle and practiced with diligence. One day, at the place where he practiced the Path, a small stupa appeared; wishing to take it to make offerings, none among the multitude could lift it. The king then assembled the three assemblies of practitioners of celibacy, dhyāna meditation, and mantra spells, wishing to question their doubts. At that time, the venerable one also attended this gathering. None of the three assemblies could explain it. The venerable one then expounded to the king the origin of the stupa at length (it was built by King Aśoka, not recorded here in detail): its appearance now was brought about by the king's power of merit. Hearing this explanation, the king said: "The supreme sage is difficult to encounter; worldly pleasures do not last long." He then abdicated the throne to the crown prince, took refuge with the patriarch, and went forth from home. In seven days, he attained the four fruits. The venerable one comforted and instructed him deeply, saying: "Abide in this country and skillfully liberate people yourself. Now in another realm, there is a great vessel of the Dharma; I shall go to transform and liberate him." He asked: "Master, your traces respond to the ten directions; as soon as a thought moves, you arrive—why trouble yourself to go?" The venerable one said: "Indeed." Thereupon, burning incense, he spoke from afar to the bhikṣu Haklenayaśas in the country of the Yuezhi: "You are teaching the flock of cranes in that land; the fruit of the Path is about to be realized, as you should know yourself." At that time, Haklenayaśas was expounding the verses of the sūtra for King Baoyin of that country. Suddenly, he saw extraordinary incense rising in clusters. The king asked: "What auspicious omen is this?" He replied: "This is the ancestral master Manorhita of western India, who transmits the Buddha's mind-seal, about to arrive. He sends the incense of faith ahead." The king asked: "What is this master's spiritual power like?" He answered: "This master received the Buddha's prediction from afar; he will broadly propagate the profound transformation in this land." At that time, the king and Haklenayaśas together bowed toward the distance. Knowing this, the venerable one took leave of the bhikṣu Dede and went to the country of the Yuezhi, where he received offerings from the king and Haklenayaśas. Later, Haklenayaśas asked the venerable one: "I have stayed in the forest for nine whites (in India, one year is called one white). I have a disciple named Longzi, who has been intelligent from childhood. When I examine his roots throughout the three times, I cannot know their origin." The venerable one said: "This boy was born in the fifth eon into a brahmin family in the country of Abhirati. He once gave sandalwood to a Buddhist temple to make a mallet to strike the bell; as a karmic result, he is clever and revered by the crowd." He further asked: "What condition led me to influence a flock of cranes?" The venerable one said: "In your fourth eon, you were once a bhikṣu and were about to attend an assembly in the dragon palace. All your disciples wished to accompany you. You observed the assembly of five hundred, and not one was worthy to receive the wondrous offerings. At that time, the disciples said: 'The master constantly preaches the Dharma that he who is equal in food is also equal in Dharma; since this is not so now, what holiness is there?' You then let them attend the assembly. Since you abandoned life and entered new lives, moving and transforming various lands, those five hundred disciples, due to meager blessings and slight virtue, were born among the winged flock. Now, moved by your favor, they follow you as a flock of cranes." Hearing these words, Haklenayaśas asked: "By what skillful means can they be liberated?" The venerable one said: "I have the unsurpassed Dharma jewel; you must hear and receive it to transform the future." And he spoke a verse: